Esther 2
Legacy Standard Bible
A Queen in Place of Vashti
2 After these things (A)when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and (B)what had been decided against her. 2 Then the young men of the king, who attended to him, said, “(C)Let young virgins, beautiful in appearance, be sought for the king. 3 And let the king appoint overseers in (D)all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every young virgin, beautiful in appearance, to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the hand of (E)Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who keeps charge of the women; and (F)let their cosmetics be given to them. 4 Then let the young lady who is good in the eyes of the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the word was good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.
5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew. And his name was (G)Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6 (H)who had been taken away into exile from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been taken away into exile with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away into exile. 7 And he was bringing up Hadassah, that is (I)Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
Esther Advances in Favor
8 Now it happened that when the word and law of the king were heard and (J)many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the hand of (K)Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s [a]house into the hand of Hegai, who kept charge of the women. 9 And the young lady was good in his eyes, and she advanced in lovingkindness before him. So he hurried to give her (L)cosmetics and portions of food to her, and to give to her seven choice young women from the king’s [b]house. And he transferred her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 (M)Esther did not tell anyone about her people or her kinsmen, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not tell anyone about them. 11 And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to know the well-being of Esther and [c]how she fared.
12 Now when it reached the turn of each young lady to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their cosmetic treatment were fulfilled as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— 13 then the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she said she desired was given to her to come with her from the harem to the king’s house. 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the hand of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
15 Now when it reached the turn of Esther, (N)the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she did not seek anything except what (O)Hegai, the king’s eunuch who kept charge of the women, said. And Esther advanced in favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal house in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther Is Made Queen
17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she advanced in favor and lovingkindness before him more than all the virgins, so that (P)he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then (Q)the king held a great feast, Esther’s feast, for all his princes and his servants; he also held a remission of taxes for the provinces and gave gifts (R)according to the king’s hand.
19 (S)And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai (T)was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 (U)Esther had not yet told anyone about her kinsmen or her people, just as Mordecai had commanded her; indeed Esther was doing [d]what Mordecai declared that she do, just as she had done (V)when she was being brought up by him.
Two of the King’s Eunuchs Are Hanged
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, (W)Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, became furious and sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus. 22 But the matter became known to Mordecai, and (X)he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther said it to the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 Then the matter was sought out and found to be true, so they were both hanged on a [e]gallows; and it was written in (Y)the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.
Footnotes
- Esther 2:8 Or palace
- Esther 2:9 Or palace
- Esther 2:11 Lit what was done to her
- Esther 2:20 Lit the declaration of Mordecai
- Esther 2:23 Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23
Esther 2
Lexham English Bible
Esther is Chosen Queen
2 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 And the king’s servants attending him said, “Let them seek attractive young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint chief officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather every attractive young virgin to the harem[a] in the citadel of Susa under the care of[b] Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let him give them their beauty treatment. 4 And let the young woman who is pleasing[c] in the king’s eyes become queen in place of Vashti. The thing was good in the king’s eyes, and he acted accordingly.
5 There was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who was deported[d] from Jerusalem with the exiles[e] who were deported[f] with Jeconiah[g] the king of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported.[h] 7 He[i] was raising Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter,[j] for she did not have a father or a mother; the young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had taken her as his daughter. 8 And it happened, at the proclaiming of the edict of the king and his law, when many young women were being gathered to the citadel of Susa under Hegai’s care,[k] Esther was taken to the king’s palace[l] under the care of[m] Hegai who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him[n] and she won favor in his presence, and he quickly provided for her beauty treatment and her portion of food, with seven chosen maids to give to her from the king’s palace,[o] and he advanced her and her maids to the best part of the harem.[p] 10 Esther did not disclose her people and her family because Modecai had charged her that she must not tell. 11 And every day Modecai would walk up and down in front of the courtyard of the harem[q] to learn how Esther was doing.[r]
12 When the turn came for each girl to go to King Ahasuerus, after the end of twelve months of being under the regulations of the women—for the days of their beauty treatments had to be filled, six months with the oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and women’s cosmetics— 13 in this way, the girl goes to the king and all that she asks is given to her to take[s] with her from the harem[t] to the king’s palace.[u] 14 In the evening she would go and in the morning she would return to the second harem[v] under the care of[w] Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not go back to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was called by name.
15 When the turn came near for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as a daughter, to go to the king, she did not ask anything except what Hegai the eunuch of the king who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther carried favor in the eyes of everyone that saw her. 16 Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his palace,[x] in the tenth month that is Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won his favor and loyalty more than all the virgins, so he put a royal crown[y] on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. And he granted a tax amnesty[z] to the provinces and he gave gifts with royal liberality.
A Plot Against the King
19 When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king. 20 Esther had not made known her family and her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her,[aa] just as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king. Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from the keepers of the threshold, became angry and they conspired to assassinate[ab] King Ahasuerus. 22 And the matter became known to Mordecai and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told it to the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 And the matter was investigated and found to be so; and the two of them were hanged on the gallows, and it was written in the scroll of the events of the days before the presence of the king.
Footnotes
- Esther 2:3 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:3 Literally “to the hand of”
- Esther 2:4 Literally “who is good”
- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:6 Hebrew “exile”
- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:6 A variant spelling of “Jehoiachin”
- Esther 2:6 Or “exiled”
- Esther 2:7 That is, Mordecai
- Esther 2:7 That is, his cousin
- Esther 2:8 Literally “to the hand of Hegai”
- Esther 2:8 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 2:8 Literally “to the hand of”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “the young woman was good in his eyes”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 2:9 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:11 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:11 Literally “the peace of Esther and how it does/does with her”
- Esther 2:13 Literally “to go”
- Esther 2:13 Literally “house of the women”
- Esther 2:13 Literally “house of the king”
- Esther 2:14 Literally “second house of the women”
- Esther 2:14 Literally “to the hand of”
- Esther 2:16 Literally “house of the reign” or “house of the kingdom”
- Esther 2:17 Literally “crown of the kingdom”
- Esther 2:18 See HALOT 252–253 s.v.
- Esther 2:20 Literally “did the word of Mordecai”
- Esther 2:21 Literally “to send a hand against”
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